Dean- a set up for easy victory? or do they really fear him?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

O.K. This is THE issue. I found this interesting discussion on a web site today and it was nicely encapsulated by these 2 posts:

"I'm a little suspicious when I read that Karl Rove is publically hoping Howard Dean wins the nomination. Why isn't anyone asking why a smart cookie like Karl Rove would tip his hand so clearly and early and make his opponent preferences known? Doesn't that seem a little strange?"

Posted by: John B. on July 8, 2003 01:40 PM

"I've thought about that Rove thing and I see it a couple of different ways.

Either Dean is the one they don't want and fear the most OR Dean is the one that they do want and is mistakenly convinced they can beat Dean.

Either way, its all just a mindjob meant to deflate support. It isn't working."

Posted by: Brassmask on July 8, 2003 01:52 PM

http://www.rogersimon.com/archive/000911.html

Please discuss....

[meegbear]

1. Discuss what?

[gWbush is Mabus]

2. mindjob

if you have seen Dean speak (other than the debates)

you can tell that he would woop the shit out of little shrubbery in an election

[CMT]

3. any of our canddiates can beat Bush

The issues are moving in our direction and people are finally waking up to what Bush has done to this country.

[Larkspur]

4. Rove doesn't understand Dean's campaign anymore than the Dem hierarchy

I do think that the Repukes fear Dean's talent of energizing the Dem base and getting people who have neither participated in politics before or have given up on the Dem Party to get back into politics via his campaign.

What Dean has that the other Dem candidates don't, is a plan to do an end-run around the Bush TV propaganda machine and that is the Internet and his grassroots supporters.

[LuminousX]

5. Special Powers

Republicans must have special powers to be able to determine who is the weakest Dem candidate. I maintain that the weakest of our top tier is still stronger than Bush.

It is all a mindjob. The best thing we can do is ignore them, go about our process in selecting our candidate and then work our a**es off to get that candidate elected President. I really feel like I'm on a ship that has been taken over by pirates and we are finally organizing to take it back. We just need that one person willing to lead the charge.

[TexasEditor]

6. "Rove, Rove, Rove..."

Karl Rove thought Bush would beat Gore by a huge majority. He and the other idiots thought they'd waltz through Iraq. What is it with all this "genius" stuff regarding Bush's Puppet Master?

I'm looking forward to a debate between Bush and our candidate, the way things are going it's going to be either the doctor or the general.

[AP]

7. Dean does worse head to head with Bush than Clark, Kerry and Gephardt

this was in a USAToday or Gallup poll two or three days ago (it was discussed here). Even if you don't believe the absolute numbers, clearly, relative to those four candidates, Dean is the weakest against Bush (for obvious reasons, I believe).

I have no doubt that internal Rove polss confirm this. I suspect we don't see more polls on this issue because big media doesn't want more Democrats to know this.

[TheDonkey]

8. Dean would have one of the toughest times beating

Bush in an election as opposed to the other front runners.

That being said I still think Dean would have a chance beating Bush.

[w4rma]

10. IMHO, Dean is the primary reason that Bush's numbers are dropping

and all of the candidates are benefiting from it.

If Dean lost the primary, then he wouldn't have a platform to drop Bush's numbers for the nominee.

[poskonig]

9. Clark v Bush 49-46, Dean v Bush 46-49.

Dean clearly is polling well against Bush.

I wouldn't take advice from Republicans on how to choose a candidate, given 1) Their guy cannot speak in complete sentences and 2) their falling poll numbers.